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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. pass — a permit
  3. bulb — for light
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. mate — a partner
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. bark — to shout
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. deal — to handle
  17. season — of the year
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. season — in sport
  20. fork — in a road
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. mate — a friend
  24. nail — for a hammer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com